Mateta earns first France senior call-up for World Cup qualifiers

Jean-Philippe Mateta received his first senior callup to the France national team on Thursday, selected by coach Didier Deschamps for World Cup qualifying matches at home to Azerbaijan on Oct. 10 and away to Iceland three days later. The Crystal Palace striker, 28, was included as Deschamps addresses absences among his attacking options.

Deschamps cited the unavailability of several forwards, including Paris Saint-Germain pair Désiré Doué and Ousmane Dembélé and Inter Milan’s Marcus Thuram, as factors in reshaping his attacking roster. “He has an interesting profile,” Deschamps said of Mateta. “Wherever he plays, he has the ability to score goals.” AC Milan forward Christopher Nkunku was also recalled to the squad amid the injury-related changes.

Mateta has been rewarded for sustained club form. The forward has scored four goals in 10 appearances in all competitions this season and was a key figure for Palace during their strong start, with the London side still unbeaten in the Premier League and sitting third in the table. He starred for France at the 2024 Paris Olympics, scoring five goals in six matches as the Olympic team won the silver medal, a sequence of performances that...